Pork Ribs

Fried Green Tomatoes and everything after

So Im writing you from good old Hampton, VA sitting in my parents kitchen having eaten too much today and starting to feel a bit drowsy. The soundtrack is turning into a mix of Corrine Bailey Rae and Tom Petty (I know its a weird mix). Despite the hour and tiredness I am determined to finish my writing and attempt to get back on track with my new years resolutions.

4 day weekend this week and its started pretty good. I got home from work on Thursday and my new Esquire magazine had shown up and there was a great article with Mary-Louise Parker (MLP) about pie baking, mind you she was baking this pie in some lingerie for the pictorial so yes I'm a little biased.

I have had a crush on MLP since Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) I saw her again when she had a small part on the West Wing as Amy Gardner and then on her current show Weeds. I can't really tell you what it is about her, but I will watch her act in anything, she and Lauren Graham. I mean the list of women whose presence alone is enough to make me go watch a movie is way too long, listing them would make this blog way too long. But hey.... it is what is and I am who I am and I like beautiful women.

Tomorrow I have a picnic to go to and I'm hoping to gets some good pictures. I haven't shot much recently so I think I'm going to turn monday into a photo day head downtown or to the national harbor to take pictures of the awakening.

I took the lackadaisical route down to Hampton from Fairfax. Partly my own doing and also influence by the fact that the traffic on I-95 between Woodbridge and Fredricksburg was horrendous so after that delay I decided to drive slow. If you are ever driving through the Richmond/Ashland area stop at Ukrops its like a big country grocery store but they have an awesome grille and cafe, its a staple stop for me on slow treks down.

My driving entertainment was mainly the ESPN channel on XM radio, which sometimes feels like a waste. Its the same thing they broadcast of free AM radio with all the commercials. The only plus is that the station clarity stays the same all the way through the ride. XM has really been faking on the stations they have been replacing my channels with piped in radio channels I don't want to pay for stuff I can get for free. But the better part of the drive was my Jay Z mixtape of my favorite Jay-Z tracks;

1. American Dreamin: Track from the American Gangster soundtrack

2. Lucifer: Always loved the beat behind that one

3. Change Clothes: Nice party track

4. Regengade: Duet with Eminem who proceeds to blow Jay out of the water with his verses

5. Song Cry: Mad emotional

6. I Did it My Way: Jay-Z with an assist from the Frank Sinatra

7. N***a Please: Everytime I hear this song I think of strippers it's Gabby Union's fault from Craddle to the Grave

8. Meet the Parents: Jay-Z does it Slick Rick style and tells an awesome story

9. Lost One: Rumor has it the girl discussed is Rosario Dawson

10. 3o Something: Getting old is not so bad, 2 more years till 30

11. Can't Knock the Hustle: Classic Jay and Mary J

12. Do it Again: Another party track

13. Death of Auto Tune: Please, please, please...... will T-Pain, Lil Wayne, Akon, and Jamie Foxx listen to this track and get the message.

14. Jockin Jay-Z: Noel Gallagher should keep his mouth shut.

Sports and Retail

I'm beat tonite long night at the fruit stand not enough workers too many customers. I've decided that retail brings out the worst in people; the desire to spend money they don't have to buy things they don't need and somehow they get it in their heads that b/c they are spending money at the store I work at that they are somehow better than me. They aren't maybe they think that because I work retail that I'm some guy making $10 bucks an hour selling stuff that this is my life; it's not, I work there because I enjoy it not b/c I need the money. Everybody wants something and nobody has any patience, and it makes me want to throw something sometimes, at inanimate objects or at the people in front of me, but I resist the urge.

I've been debating my red sox jersey, going back and forth between my favorite players and those players with longevity. Initially I thought about David Ortiz but at the beginning of the year he stunk up the joint with his terrible hitting. I went to John Pappelbon a beast of a closer, and he does the riverdance on the baseball field, but he may leave via free agency. I'm not a big Pedroia or Ellsbury fan and Bay hasn't been there long enough. I would really like a Wakefield jersey but they don't make one so I'm settling on the man behind the plate Jason Varitek a lifer whom I hope retires a Red Sox.

Steve McNair's story should be laid to rest, he's dead b/c his mistress killed him. He left a wife 4 boys and family and friends. He is the perfect example of a flawed story, a warrior on the field, a giver in the community, but lacking at home. None of us know the exact situation at home, maybe his wife knew maybe she didn't. He wasn't perfect but lets not let his flaws overshadow all the good about him.

-tw

Construction

I have been absent; so here is a small comeback. I should be sleep but I'm up watching FF Rise of the Silver Surfer, that Jessica Alba and Beau Garrett. So  I got a lot done today; built a bookcase moved some books and cleaned up my room, did some laundry, watched a couple of movies, fired up the grill and made food for the week and ended the evening at the gym getting some exercise. But here are a couple things from this week that are still stroking my thinking;

• They need to let MJ rest in peace, I cant take it anymore between crazy fans and his crazy family add to that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton showing up please get him in the ground so world can turn on its axis again

• Sarah Palin the former Governor of Alaska is always full of surprises. I don't know what she is doing but then again I never have.

• The GOP maybe the Christian  right should move away or vice versa. Why is that every time there is a sex  scandal or an affair on congressman running around with kids its someone from the GOP. The party of morality seems to be missing theirs. Here is to hoping that they turn down their rhetoric until they stop being hypocrites.

• Transformers: Rise of the Fallen rocked, don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise. It was so good I bough a big Optimus Prime toy. click here

• Steve McNair is gone too soon; people talk about Brett Favre being tough but no one calls him a warrior, that was McNair, look through the tributes and recollections from his coaches and teammates its a word that keeps coming up time and time again. He was a guy from Division I-AA who became an NFL MVP and was within one inch of a Superbowl win. He was a great QB.

Well that was a bit longer than I planned, oh well hopefully I will stay on track with the posts.